Screen washers

Sir,
The letter from Mt. A.F. Poynton prompted me to look through some old copies of The Motor, and the first one I opened, that of March 13th 1934, provided the answer to his query on windscreen washers.

The “Middlemores” screen spray, described and pictured in that issue as a new accessory, is apparently the same unit as was fitted to Mr. Poynton’s car—the price, 17s. 6d., is not much different from today’s product, but I fear that the fitting charge of 2s. 6d. would no longer be appropriate !

Some of your readers would no doubt be surprised at the range of accessories available in 1934. In addition to several makes of radios, heaters, and demisters, there were several items which still appear, identical, in 1966—Smith’s “Bluecol,” “jubilee” clips, “Barnacle” licence holders, Lucas battery master switch, and the Bray engine heater among them—remarkably long production runs.

I was surprised to see a device for re-cutting car tyres hailed as a “new advance in car safety,” and approved by Eyston, Nuvolari, and Chiron.

Edinburgh.